H1 vs H2 Tags: The SEO Drama You Never Knew You Needed

Look, I was going to write a complete snooze-fest about heading tags, but then I remembered that I actually want you to read this. So instead, let's talk about the soap opera that is H1 vs H2 tags – arguably the most dramatic relationship in the HTML universe.

What Are These Damn Tags Anyway?

If you're new to this whole SEO circus, heading tags are those HTML elements that tell both Google and your users, "Hey! This text is important... well, different levels of important." They range from H1 (the diva of the webpage) down to H6 (the forgotten extra that never gets any lines).

<h1>I'm the star of this show</h1>
<h2>I'm important but not THAT important</h2>
<h3>Nobody remembers me at the after-party</h3>

I once had a client who thought H tags were just for making text bigger. He literally used an H6 for his main headline because he thought it looked "classier" to have smaller text. His site was ranking somewhere on page 48 of Google. Coincidence? I think not.

• H tags aren't font size settings (despite what your graphic designer cousin might tell you)

• They're hierarchical signals that both bots and humans use to make sense of your content

• The correct use of them won't make you instantly rich, but the incorrect use will make you definitely poor

H1 vs H2: A Tale of Two Tags

The H1 Tag – The Prima Donna

Your H1 is basically the Kim Kardashian of your webpage. It demands attention, it needs to be seen, and God help you if you try to have more than one on a page.

When I audit websites (yes, that's what I do on Friday nights instead of having a social life), I regularly find pages with either zero H1s or – even worse – SEVEN of them. Listen, your page isn't a hydra. It doesn't need multiple heads.

I once saw a website with 13 H1 tags. THIRTEEN. The owner kept wondering why Google "had a personal vendetta" against his business. Well, buddy, Google doesn't hate you – it's just allergic to structural chaos.

The H2 Tag – The Reliable Supporting Actor

If your H1 is the star, your H2s are the supporting cast that actually make the show watchable. They break up your content into digestible chunks for people with the attention span of a goldfish on espresso (which is all of us now, thanks social media).

H2s are like section dividers in your "How to Do SEO Without Crying" handbook. They give structure to what would otherwise be an intimidating wall of text that makes visitors hit the back button faster than when they accidentally FaceTime their ex at 2 AM.

The SEO Truth Nobody Wants to Admit

Here's a little secret that most SEO "gurus" won't tell you: Google is smart enough to understand your content even if your heading structure isn't perfect. Gasp!

BUT – and this is a big but, I cannot lie – proper headings make your content more accessible to:

1. Actual human beings (remember them?)

2. People using screen readers

3. Google's crawlers (who, despite their intelligence, still appreciate clear signals)

4. Your future self, who will need to update this content after Google's next algorithm tantrum

I could lie and tell you that fixing your H1 and H2 tags will triple your traffic overnight, but unlike the "SEO experts" charging you €300/hour, I actually want to sleep at night.

The Tragic Mistakes I See Every. Single. Day.

Let me share some real heading horror stories from my years in the SEO trenches:

Using Headings as Design Elements

"But Magnus, the H3 is the perfect shade of blue for our brand guidelines!"

I don't care if the H4 matches your CEO's eye color perfectly – that's not what heading tags are for. Use CSS to style your headings, not the other way around.

When you choose heading levels based on how they look rather than what they mean, a small part of the internet dies. And so does your ranking potential.

The Keyword Stuffing Nightmare

I recently saw this actual H1 on a client's site:

❌ "Best SEO H1 Tags Best Practices SEO Heading Tags H1 Title Tag SEO Optimization SEO"

I'm surprised they didn't just add "PLEASE RANK ME GOOGLE I'M DESPERATE" at the end. Google doesn't reward desperation – it just puts you in algorithm jail.

Skipping Heading Levels Like They're Optional Zoom Meetings

Another client proudly showed me their "perfectly structured content" that went:

H1 → H4 → H2 → H6 → H3

I asked if they also put on their socks after their shoes and they didn't appreciate the comparison. But seriously, would you skip floors when constructing a building? "Let's go from the ground floor straight to the 4th floor – who needs floors 2 and 3 anyway?"

How To Actually Use These Tags Without Looking Like an Amateur

Alright, enough mockery. Let's talk about how to actually use these tags without making the SEO gods weep.

The H1 Recipe for Success

• Use exactly ONE H1 per page. One. Uno. En. Not two, not zero. ONE.

• Make it descriptive but not a novel. If your H1 needs to take a breath halfway through, it's too long.

• Include your primary keyword, but make it sound like a human wrote it, not an algorithm having a stroke.

• Match the search intent. If people are searching "how to use heading tags," don't make your H1 "The Historical Evolution of HTML Semantics from 1993-Present."

I once helped a client change their H1 from "Welcome" (seriously) to an actual description of their business with their primary keyword. Their organic traffic increased by 46%. Sometimes SEO really is that simple – like finding out you've been driving with the parking brake on for years.

The H2 Strategy That Actually Works

• Use multiple H2s to break up your content into logical sections. Think of them as chapters.

• Each H2 should promise something valuable, then deliver it in the content that follows.

• Include secondary keywords where natural, but prioritize clarity over keyword density.

• If your H2s were the only thing someone read, they should still understand what your content is about.

The Real-World Impact (Yes, This Actually Matters)

You might be thinking, "This is just another SEO technicality that doesn't really matter in the real world." I thought the same thing until I saw these results firsthand:

Last year, I worked with an e-commerce client whose product pages were ranking worse than conspiracy theory videos. Their heading structure was non-existent – product names styled with <strong> tags instead of H1s, random bold text instead of H2s, the whole amateur-hour package.

We implemented proper heading structure:

• H1 for product names

• H2s for key sections like "Features," "Specifications," etc.

• H3s for subsections

Within three months, organic traffic increased by 57%, and conversion rate improved by 24%. And all we did was fix the damn heading structure.

Not because Google suddenly fell in love with their website, but because:

1. Users could actually find what they were looking for

2. The site looked more professional and trustworthy

3. Google could better understand what the hell the pages were about

What Google REALLY Thinks About Your Headings

Google has never sent me a personal note about my brilliant heading structure (still waiting, Google), but based on thousands of tests and audits, here's what I believe:

Google uses headings to:

• Understand the main topic of your page

• Identify subtopics and how they relate

• Determine if your content is well-structured

• Extract information for featured snippets

• Judge if you actually know what you're talking about

But let's be real – Google also uses about 8,472 other factors to rank your page. Perfect heading structure won't save terrible content, just like perfect grammar won't save a terrible pickup line.

Let's Be Honest: Does Any of This Actually Matter?

Yes, annoyingly, it does.

Is it the SEO magic bullet that will catapult you to position #1? No. That would require selling your soul to the algorithm gods (and possibly a significant advertising budget).

But proper heading structure is like having good posture – it's not the most exciting thing to focus on, but get it wrong and eventually everything hurts and people think less of you.

I've fixed heading structures on enough websites to say confidently: This relatively simple technical adjustment can make a significant difference. Not because it's magical SEO dust, but because it makes your content better for both search engines and humans.

And isn't that what SEO is really about? No, it's about ranking #1 and making money. But better content helps with that too.

Conclusion: Just Fix Your Damn Headings Already

If you've made it this far, congratulations on having a longer attention span than most of my clients. Here's your reward: the simple truth about heading tags.

• Use ONE H1 that clearly defines what your page is about

• Use H2s to divide your content into logical sections

• Use H3s when you need to further subdivide those sections

• Maintain proper hierarchy (never skip levels)

• Include keywords naturally, not like you're trying to hypnotize Google

• Remember headings exist for both humans and search engines

Now go audit your heading structure and weep at what you find. Don't worry, we've all been there – even I found an H5 before an H3 on my own website last month. The SEO cobbler's children have no shoes, as they say.

And if you need help fixing your heading disaster, there's always my consulting services. Or, you know, just follow the advice in this article for free. Your choice. Either way, your users (and probably Google) will thank you.

Just don't tell anyone I admitted that something this basic in SEO actually matters. I have a cynical reputation to maintain. 😏